Javier Company has sales of $8 million and quality costs of $1,600,000. The company is embarking on a major quality improvement program. During the next three years, Javier intends to attack failure costs by increasing its appraisal and prevention costs. The “right” prevention activities will be selected, and appraisal costs will be reduced according to the results achieved. For the coming year, management is considering six specific activities: quality training, process control, product inspection, supplier evaluation, prototype testing, and redesign of two major products. To encourage managers to focus on reducing non-value-added quality costs and select the right activities, a bonus pool is established relating to reduction of quality costs. The bonus pool is equal to 10 percent of the total reduction in quality costs.
Current quality costs and the costs of these six activities are given in the following table. Each activity is added sequentially so that its effect on the cost categories can be assessed. For example, after quality training is added, the control costs increase to $320,000, and the failure costs drop to $1,040,000. Even though the activities are presented sequentially, they are totally independent of each other. Thus, only beneficial activities need be selected.
Required:
- 1. Identify the control activities that should be implemented, and calculate the total quality costs associated with this selection. Assume that an activity is selected only if it increases the bonus pool.
- 2. Given the activities selected in Requirement 1, calculate the following:
- a. The reduction in total quality costs
- b. The percentage distribution for control and failure costs
- c. The amount for this year’s bonus pool
- 3. Suppose that a quality engineer complained about the gainsharing incentive system. Basically, he argued that the bonus should be based only on reductions of failure and appraisal costs. In this way, investment in prevention activities would be encouraged, and eventually, failure and appraisal costs would be eliminated. After eliminating the non-value-added costs, focus could then be placed on the level of prevention costs. If this approach were adopted, what activities would be selected? Do you agree or disagree with this approach? Explain.
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Chapter 14 Solutions
Cornerstones of Cost Management (Cornerstones Series)
- Recently, Ulrich Company received a report from an external consulting group on its quality costs. The consultants reported that the companys quality costs total about 21 percent of its sales revenues. Somewhat shocked by the magnitude of the costs, Rob Rustin, president of Ulrich Company, decided to launch a major quality improvement program. For the coming year, management decided to reduce quality costs to 17 percent of sales revenues. Although the amount of reduction was ambitious, most company officials believed that the goal could be realized. To improve the monitoring of the quality improvement program, Rob directed Pamela Golding, the controller, to prepare monthly performance reports comparing budgeted and actual quality costs. Budgeted costs and sales for the first two months of the year are as follows: The following actual sales and actual quality costs were reported for January: Required: 1. Reorganize the monthly budgets so that quality costs are grouped in one of four categories: appraisal, prevention, internal failure, or external failure. (Essentially, prepare a budgeted cost of quality report.) Also, identify each cost as variable (V) or fixed (F). (Assume that no costs are mixed.) 2. Prepare a performance report for January that compares actual costs with budgeted costs. Comment on the companys progress in improving quality and reducing its quality costs.arrow_forwardLindell Manufacturing embarked on an ambitious quality program that is centered on continual improvement. This improvement is operationalized by declining quality costs from year to year. Lindell rewards plant managers, production supervisors, and workers with bonuses ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 if their factory meets its annual quality cost goals. Len Smith, manager of Lindells Boise plant, felt obligated to do everything he could to provide this increase to his employees. Accordingly, he has decided to take the following actions during the last quarter of the year to meet the plants budgeted quality cost targets: a. Decrease inspections of the process and final product by 50% and transfer inspectors temporarily to quality training programs. Len believes this move will increase the inspectors awareness of the importance of quality; also, decreasing inspection will produce significantly less downtime and less rework. By increasing the output and decreasing the costs of internal failure, the plant can meet the budgeted reductions for internal failure costs. Also, by showing an increase in the costs of quality training, the budgeted level for prevention costs can be met. b. Delay replacing and repairing defective products until the beginning of the following year. While this may increase customer dissatisfaction somewhat, Len believes that most customers expect some inconvenience. Besides, the policy of promptly dealing with customers who are dissatisfied could be reinstated in 3 months. In the meantime, the action would significantly reduce the costs of external failure, allowing the plant to meet its budgeted target. c. Cancel scheduled worker visits to customers plants. This program, which has been very well received by customers, enables Lindell workers to see just how the machinery they make is used by the customer and also gives them first-hand information on any remaining problems with the machinery. Workers who went on previous customer site visits came back enthusiastic and committed to Lindells quality program. Lindells quality program staff believes that these visits will reduce defects during the following year. Required: 1. Evaluate Lens ethical behavior. In this evaluation, consider his concern for his employees. Was he justified in taking the actions described? If not, what should he have done? 2. Assume that the company views Lens behavior as undesirable. What can the company do to discourage it? 3. Assume that Len is a CMA and a member of the IMA. Refer to the ethical code for management accountants in Chapter 1. Were any of these ethical standards violated?arrow_forwardIona Company, a large printing company, is in its fourth year of a five-year, quality improvement program. The program began in 20x0 with an internal study that revealed the quality costs being incurred. In that year, a five-year plan was developed to lower quality costs to 10 percent of sales by the end of 20x5. Sales and quality costs for each year are as follows: Budgeted figures. Quality costs by category are expressed as a percentage of sales as follows: The detail of the 20x5 budget for quality costs is also provided. All prevention costs are fixed; all other quality costs are variable. During 20x5, the company had 12 million in sales. Actual quality costs for 20x4 and 20x5 are as follows: Required: 1. Prepare an interim quality cost performance report for 20x5 that compares actual quality costs with budgeted quality costs. Comment on the firms ability to achieve its quality goals for the year. 2. Prepare a one-period quality performance report for 20x5 that compares the actual quality costs of 20x4 with the actual costs of 20x5. How much did profits change because of improved quality? 3. Prepare a graph that shows the trend in total quality costs as a percentage of sales since the inception of the quality improvement program. 4. Prepare a graph that shows the trend for all four quality cost categories for 20x1 through 20x5. How does this graph help management know that the reduction in total quality costs is attributable to quality improvements? 5. Assume that the company is preparing a second five-year plan to reduce quality costs to 2.5 percent of sales. Prepare a long-range quality cost performance report assuming sales of 15 million at the end of five years. Assume that the final planned relative distribution of quality costs is as follows: proofreading, 50 percent; other inspection, 13 percent; quality training, 30 percent; and quality reporting, 7 percent.arrow_forward
- At the end of 20x1, Mejorar Company implemented a low-cost strategy to improve its competitive position. Its objective was to become the low-cost producer in its industry. A Balanced Scorecard was developed to guide the company toward this objective. To lower costs, Mejorar undertook a number of improvement activities such as JIT production, total quality management, and activity-based management. Now, after two years of operation, the president of Mejorar wants some assessment of the achievements. To help provide this assessment, the following information on one product has been gathered: Required: 1. Compute the following measures for 20x1 and 20x3: a. Actual velocity and cycle time b. Percentage of total revenue from new customers (assume one unit per customer) c. Percentage of very satisfied customers (assume each customer purchases one unit) d. Market share e. Percentage change in actual product cost (for 20x3 only) f. Percentage change in days of inventory (for 20x3 only) g. Defective units as a percentage of total units produced h. Total hours of training i. Suggestions per production worker j. Total revenue k. Number of new customers 2. For the measures listed in Requirement 1, list likely strategic objectives, classified according to the four Balance Scorecard perspectives. Assume there is one measure per objective.arrow_forwardIona Company, a large printing company, is in its fourth year of a five-year, quality improvement program. The program began in 20x0 with an internal study that revealed the quality costs being incurred. In that year, a five-year plan was developed to lower quality costs to 10 percent of sales by the end of 20x5. Sales and quality costs for each year are as follows: Sales Revenues Quality Costs20x1 $10,000,000 $2,000,00020x2 10,000,000 1,800,00020x3 11,000,000 1,815,00020x4 12,000,000 1,680,00020x5* 12,000,000 1,320,000 Required:1. Prepare an interim quality cost performance report for 20x5 that compares actual quality costs with budgeted quality costs. Comment on the firm’s ability to achieve its quality goalsfor the year.2. Prepare a one-period quality performance report for 20x5 that compares the actual quality costs of 20x4 with the actual costs of 20x5. How much did profits…arrow_forwardA process control manager is considering two robots to improve materials-handling capacity in the production of rigid shaft couplings that make dissimilar drive components. Robot X has a first cost of $92,000, an annual M&O cost of $31,000, and $40,000 salvage value, and it will improve revenues by $96,000 per year. Robot Y has a first cost of $146,000, an annual M&O cost of $28,000, and $47,000 salvage value, and it will increase revenues by $124,000 per year. The company's MARR is 37% per year, and it uses a 3-year study period for economic evaluations. Calculate the incremental ROR, and identify the robot the manager should select. The incremental ROR is %. The manager should select robot: (Click to select) (Click to select) Yarrow_forward
- A process control manager is considering two robots to improve materials-handling capacity in the production of rigid shaft couplings that make dissimilar drive components. Robot X has a first cost of $74,000, an annual M&O cost of $31,000, and $35,000 salvage value, and it will improve revenues by $96,000 per year. Robot Y has a first cost of $146,000, an annual M&O cost of $28,000, and $47,000 salvage value, and it will increase revenues by $120,000 per year. The company's MARR is 10% per year, and it uses a 3-year study period for economic evaluations. Calculate the incremental ROR, and identify the robot the manager should select. The incremental ROR is %. The manager should select robot (Click to select) ♥arrow_forwardA process control manager is considering two robots to improve materials handling capacity in the production of rigid shaft couplings that mate dissimilar drive components. Robot X has a first cost of $84,000, an annual M&O cost of $31,000, a $40,000 salvage value, and will improve revenues by $96,000 per year. Robot Y has a first cost of $146,000, an annual M&O cost of $28,000, a $47,000 salvage value, and will increase revenues by $119,000 per year. The company’s MARR is 15% per year and it uses a 3-year study period for economic evaluations. Which one should the manager select (a) on the basis of ROR values, and (b) on the basis of the incremental ROR value? (c) Which is the correct selection basis? Perform the analysis by hand or spreadsheet, as instructed.arrow_forwardToronto Business Associates, a division of Maple Leaf Services Corporation, offers management and computer consulting services to clients throughout Canada and the northwestern United States. The division specializes in website development and other Internet applications. The corporate management at Maple Leaf Services is pleased with the performance of Toronto Business Associates for the first nine months of the current year and has recommended that the division manager, Richard Howell, submit a revised forecast for the remaining quarter, as the division has exceeded the annual plan year-to-date by 20 percent of operating income. An unexpected increase in billed hour volume over the original plan is the main reason for this increase in income. The original operating budget for the first three quarters for Toronto Business Associates follows. TORONTO BUSINESS ASSOCIATES 20x1 Operating Budget 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter Total for FirstThree Quarters Revenue:…arrow_forward
- A company's returns department incurs annual overhead costs of $333,000 and budgets 9,000 returns per year. Management believes it has found a better way to package its products. As a result, the company expects to reduce the number of shipments that are returned due to damage by 6%. This is expected to reduce the department's annual overhead by $16,000. Compute the department's standard overhead rate per return (a) before the sustainability improvement and (b) after the sustainability improvement. (Round your answers to 2 decimal places.) Before Sustainability Improvement After Sustainability Improvement Standard overhead rate per retumarrow_forwardQC Corp has the following budget amounts for the current year: $1,100,000 for prevention costs and $880,000 for appraisal costs. Internal failure equals $100 per failed item and external failure has a total budget of $660,000. The Product Testing department has proposed a new method of testing products. If management decides to implement the new method, $2.20 per unit of appraisal costs will be saved, up to a level of 150,000 tests. No additional savings are expected past the 150,000 level. The new method involves $104,500 in training costs and $71,500 in yearly testing supplies. If the new testing method is implemented what is the revised budget for appraisal costs, assuming 550,000 units are tested during the current year?arrow_forwardA new installation technique has been developed that will enable Washington’s engineers to install 7 additional units of equipment a year. The new method will increase installation costs by $145,000 each year. Should Washington implement the new technique? Show your calculations.arrow_forward
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